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155 years ago, the last slaves in the U.S. were freed.
They were promised "40 acres & a mule," a path to financial independence. But this promise was broken, ultimately depriving Black Americans hundreds of billions worth of wealth.
https://nfu.org/2020/06/19/juneteenth-and-the-broken-promise-of-40-acres-and-a-mule/ #JUNETEENTH2020
They were promised "40 acres & a mule," a path to financial independence. But this promise was broken, ultimately depriving Black Americans hundreds of billions worth of wealth.
https://nfu.org/2020/06/19/juneteenth-and-the-broken-promise-of-40-acres-and-a-mule/ #JUNETEENTH2020
As a result, many former slaves were forced into sharecropping. Landowners were known to charge unfairly high interest rates and intentionally underpay sharecroppers, keeping them in an endless cycle of debt and poverty.
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/01/12/376781165/the-story-behind-40-acres-and-a-mule
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/01/12/376781165/the-story-behind-40-acres-and-a-mule
Despite significant obstacles, Black Americans managed to acquire 15 million acres of land by 1910. At the time, 14% of farmers were Black.
But today, only 1.3% of farmers are Black, and they only own .52% of farmland. How did that happened?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/29/why-have-americas-black-farmers-disappeared
But today, only 1.3% of farmers are Black, and they only own .52% of farmland. How did that happened?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/29/why-have-americas-black-farmers-disappeared
Most early Black landowners did not have wills. Their next of kin inherited land without a clear title as “heirs’ property," which is ineligible for mortgages and USDA programs. As a result, many owners can't use the land or can’t afford to hold onto it.
https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-heirs-property-owners-do-to-protect-their-land-loss
https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-heirs-property-owners-do-to-protect-their-land-loss
On top of that, heirs' property is often passed down to many distant family members who may not know each other. Knowing this, developers coerce owners who have never seen the property into selling their share for less than market value.
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/african-americans-have-lost-acres/
https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/african-americans-have-lost-acres/
But heirs' property isn't the only factor - Black farmers have endured discrimination by government agencies & private lending institutions. This limited their access to loans, crop insurance, technical assistance, market opportunities & other resources.
https://thecounter.org/usda-black-farmers-discrimination-tom-vilsack-reparations-civil-rights/
https://thecounter.org/usda-black-farmers-discrimination-tom-vilsack-reparations-civil-rights/
The loss of 90% of their land has deprived the Black community of wealth and contributed significantly to modern racial economic inequality: the average Black farmer’s net farm income is just 14 percent that of their white counterpart. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/reports/2019/04/03/467892/progressive-governance-can-turn-tide-black-farmers/
"40 acres and a mule" is just one of many promises we have failed to keep to Black citizens since emancipation, and land loss is just one of the injustices they have endured as a result.
This Juneteenth, it's time we finally keep our promises.
https://nfu.org/2020/06/19/juneteenth-and-the-broken-promise-of-40-acres-and-a-mule/
This Juneteenth, it's time we finally keep our promises.
https://nfu.org/2020/06/19/juneteenth-and-the-broken-promise-of-40-acres-and-a-mule/
